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My son is 3 days old today.
I thought my milk "arrived' because my boobs have been , heavy, huge, and ROCK HARD PAINFUL all day.

At the peditrician appt today it seemed my son has lost over a POUND, and in only 3 days?!

I cannot even get him latched on decently now that my boobs are huge painful bags of rocks, and I just attempted to pump to release pressure / avoid a clog / confirm milk... and I am getting a grand total of a teaspoon at best-- and no relief from the rocky pain. Son won't wake up and nurse either-- i know he is waiting for 11pm then will be up all night while I am falling asleep standing up.

This was a bit of a vent but I am already thinking WHY am I going down this road again (2nd baby here).. low supply and constant failure and depression (refuse to take meds while nursing).

Oh hugs!!! I've been there!! I did not respond to a pump either in the early days. See if you can hand express and maybe give it a try in the shower. This will hopefully soften you up enough for babe to latch. Also, maybe try some ibuprofen as it's an anti-inflammatory.

You can nurse lying down right now!!! I did a lot in the early newborn days-I think that's how I survived the nights! Hang in there-all of this will pass!

Mama bean to E-bean (7), A-bean (4), C-bean (16 months) and baby bean (3-28-11). We are successfully for the first time!!!

Don't beat yourself up. You're doing the best you can. You're doing this because you want what's best for your baby! If you are against taking medication, are you getting any other type of help for your depression?

STICK WITH IT!! you will be fine, the first two weeks, honestly were a bit rough with engorgement, sore nipples, screaming baby, etc... you get it... but stick with it, and you will be fine. It can be discouraging, but totally worth it as soon as you guys find your "rhythm!"

Hi mama, I'm really sorry you are having a tough time. Congrats on your new baby!

I know nursing is really challenging in the early days. Did you receive any IV fluids during your labor? This can affect your baby's birth weight - thus resulting in them losing a lot of weight early on. But it's just the water coming off - if that makes sense. I had the same issue. Was this a factor in your labor?

Sleepy newborns are hard, aren't they? You don't have to wait to lay down to nurse if you can manage it now. I still use a pregnancy pillow behind my body to support me when I lay down to nurse. Maybe this would help you. I would try that when the baby wants to stay up all night and party.

Also, it's pretty normal not to respond to a pump right away. The amount of milk you're getting could be perfectly normal. How are your baby's wet and dirty diapers? Can you tell if the baby is swallowing when he finally latches on? Here's a video showing that: http://youtu.be/VHs2Ql5Kylo

Regarding depression, there's insight showing that it may benefit you to consider medications. http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/...hale10-02.html The main resource for medications and nursing is a man by the name of Dr. Hale. You can call his staff during regular office hours and they will walk you through any medications you may have questions about and tell you how safe they are for your baby. http://www.infantrisk.com

I know you are tired and just want to sleep and feel better. I know it! But starting now will help boost that milk supply and make sure that your supply is good for the duration. The reality is that you will be exhausted regardless with a newborn. Nursing will make it easier and create less work for you in the long run.

Hang in there and let us know how we can help you succeed.

Christine
Baby Girl Born 2/17/10 to her two mommies
BF from day one. I looked up one day and realized I'm nursing a toddler!

Gentle hug to you, mama! That engorgement can't be pleasant. You've received great advice from the PPs. I just want to add a few things:
1. if you are as engorged as you say, there's no reason to think you're going to land in a low supply situation. Being that engorged means you are capable of producing a lot of milk!
2. I strongly suggest seeing a lactation consultant, preferably an IBCLC. It sounds like you could really benefit from hands-on help with latching and pumping.
3. Full-body aches and engorgement could mean that you're coming down with mastitis. So stay alert for redness or red streaks on your breast skin, for flu-like symptoms' and for aches, pains, chills, and fever.

This is actually included in the kellymom site above, but I wanted to point out specifically the technique called reverse pressure softening. It could help your baby latch on or help you get some relief if you need to pump. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...cotterman.html

You can certainly nurse side-lying even with a newborn. You just might need a helper getting the baby latched on properly.

I breast milk fed my Blossom for fifteen months (after exclusively pumping for thirteen). My Bud (nineteen months) is still nursing directly (after a rough start that included a few months of pumping and supplementing with mommy's milk).